1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a television receiver, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for controlling a remote controllable television receiver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown in a block diagram a television set, comprising a remote controllable television receiver unit and a remote control unit, according to the prior art. The television receiver unit is controlled by a remote controller or the remote control unit 1R which comprises a remote control microprocessor 1a, a keyboard 1b and a remote control signal transmitter 1c and outputs a radio signal corresponding to a manually selected channel. The television receiver unit includes a remote signal receiver 2, which receives the channel selecting radio signal outputted from the remote control unit 1R and amplifies the radio signal to a predetermined level and in turn outputs the amplified signal. The television receiver unit further includes a key matrix unit 3, outputting an electric signal of a predetermined level corresponding to a VHF or UHF channel manually selected by the user. A microprocessor 4 is provided in the television receiver unit for outputting, upon receiving the signals outputted from both the remote signal receiver 2 and the key matrix unit 3, a channel increases/decreases signal enabling the selection of a required channel. The microprocessor 4 is connected to a tuner 5 which, upon receiving a broadcast signal inputted by an antenna, tunes and outputs a corresponding broadcast signal according to the output signal of the microprocessor 4. The tuner 5 is connected to an IF/demodulator 6 which IF(intermediate frequency)-processes the output signal of the tuner 5 and demodulates the IF-processed signal. The IF/demodulator 6 is in turn connected to a video signal processing circuit unit 7, which comprises a comb filter 7a, a color processing circuit 7b, a luminance processing circuit 7c, a matrix unit 7d and a CRT drive unit 7e. This video signal processing unit 7 processes only a video signal of the output signals of the IF/demodulator 6 and outputs the processed video signal through a CRT 8. The IF/demodulator 6 is also connected to an audio signal processing circuit 9 which processes only an audio signal of the output signal s of the IF/demodulator 6 and outputs the processed audio signal through a speaker SP. An on-screen code generating circuit 10 is connected between the microprocessor 4 and the CRT drive unit 7e of the video signal processing unit 7. The circuit 10 generates an on-screen code under the control of the microprocessor 4 and outputs the on-screen code to the CRT drive unit 7e for displaying the on-screen code on the CRT 8. The television receiver unit further includes a deflection circuit 11 between the luminance processing circuit 7c, the CRT 8 and the on-screen code generating circuit 10. The deflection circuit 11 separates a synchronous component from the output signal of the luminance processing circuit 7c and deflects, according to the separated synchronous component, the electron beam of an electron gun of the CRT 8.
In the drawing, the block 12 defines a tuning and video/audio processing section of the television receiver unit controlled by a rotary type tuning device while the block 13 defines the construction of the television set controlled by a remote control type tuning device.
Turning to FIG. 2, there is shown in a plan view a keyboard of the conventional remote control unit 1R. On the keyboard, a plurality of numeral keys, respectively numbered 1 to 9 and adapted for selection of channel, are arranged together with a plurality of function keys.
In operation, the matrix unit 3 provided on the television receiver unit or the remote control unit 1R is operated under the condition of powering on the television receiver unit such as for performing the channel selection. A corresponding selection signal is thus outputted from the matrix unit 3 or from the remote control unit 1R to the microprocessor 4 of the television receiver unit. Upon reception of the selection signal, the microprocessor 4 controls the tuner 5 to output a complex video signal, corresponding to a tuned channel, of the broadcast signals inputted by the antenna ANT to the IF/demodulator 6.
Upon receiving the complex video signal, the IF/demodulator 6 separates the video signal of the complex broadcast signals from the audio signal. The audio signal is in turn processed by the audio signal processing circuit 9 and outputted from the speaker SP. The video signal is received by the comb filter 7a wherein the color signal is separated from the luminance signal. The color signal and the luminance signal are processed by the color signal processing circuit 7b and the luminance signal processing circuit 7c, respectively, and transmitted to the CRT drive unit 7e by way of the matrix unit 7d.
In addition, the deflection circuit 11, connected between the luminance processing circuit 7c, the CRT 8 and the on-screen code generating circuit 10, separates the synchronous component from the output signal of the luminance processing circuit 7c. The circuit 11 in turn deflects the electron beam of the electron gun of the CRT 8 according to the separated synchronous component, thereby displaying the picture on the screen of the CRT 8.
At the same time, the on-screen code generating circuit 10 generates a corresponding on-screen display (OSD) signal, which is displayed on the CRT 8, under the control of the microprocessor 4.
In order to change the channel, at least two numeral keys of the remote control unit 1R corresponding to the required channel are manually pushed so as to directly tune the channel or the channel increase or decrease key is sequentially pushed.
In addition to the above channel selection, various information, such as of time, volume, video and audio, may be displayed on the CRT 8 by pushing individual function keys of the remote control unit 1R.
However, such a remote control of the television receiver unit has a problem in that it requires such a complex remote control unit in that it is provided with the plurality of numeral keys numbered 1 to 9 as well as the plurality of function keys, such as for channel up, channel down, volume up and volume down. In addition, it is necessary to repeatedly push the channel increase and decrease keys one by one in channel selection, thereby causing inconvenience and the presence of an error in use of the remote control unit. Furthermore, such a complex remote control unit makes it difficult to be familiar with the functions of the respective keys and causes most of the plurality of keys to be unnecessary to users requiring a simple control, such as the aged and users preferring the rotary type tuning method.
In addition, there has been proposed a remote control unit having a jog shuttle key performing the tape winding function as well as an edit function key. However, key such a remote control unit having a jog shuttle key is not used in controlling a television receiver unit but is used only for operating the tape of a VCR.